Cereal-box.



F. W. RICE.

CEBEAL BO'X. APPLICATION FILED 0m43.191s. 115115111511l MAR. 2|. 191s.

1,266,992. 'Patented m1115121, 1918.

lEREDERIfJK W. RICE, 0F EAST SELTTLE, WASHINGTON.

cEnEnL-Box.

C Specification ofLetters Patent.

:l Patented May 21, 1918.

Application me'dcetober 2a, 1916, serial Ne. 127,187. Renewed Maren 21, 191s. serial No. 223,870.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. Riom, a citizen of the United States, residing at EastA Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cereal-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved cereal box and has as its primary object to provide a construction wherein the contents of the box may, without mutilation of' the box, be emptied therefrom vas desired, so

that the unused portion' of the contents of the box may be kept in a fresh condition.

The invention has as a further object to provide an arrangement wherein the vbox will be formed with a discharge opening normally ...closed by a sealing iiap therefor.

and wherein the contents of the box may be emptied without removing the sealing wra per for the box, by simply displacing tlfe said ap.

vrAnd the invention has as a still further object to provide a yieldable retaining element for normally maintaining the sealing flap closed. o

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:`

Figure 1 1s a perspectlve view of my 1mproved box showing the active position ofY rious different typesy 'of box constructions.

The box 10 yiseprovided with side and end walls and is closed at one' extremity thereof by a plurality of coacting flaps 11. Formed on the opposite extremity of the box are side flaps 12 and 13 and end flaps 14 and 15 respectively. The flap 12 is arranged to overlie the flap 14, as particularly shown in 1 dotted lines in Fig. 3 and, at one extremityv thereof, is provided with an inwardly directed substantially -V-shaped notch 16 opening through the adjacent end edge of the said flap with one edge 17 of the said notch --terminating at the adjacent outer corner of ranged to overlie the flaps 12 and 15 and for the greater portion of its area, is se cured thereto, as by adhesion, or in any other suitable manner. At one extremity, the flap 13 is formed with a diagonally extending crease, fold line or mark 21 to deiine a sealing or closing flap 22 for the discharge opening 20. `The fold line 21 is arranged immediately over the inner end edge of the opening 20 and extends in a general direction therewith with the flap 13 secured, as previously mentioned, to the iaps 12 and 15 up to the saidv fold line. The iap 22 will, therefore, hinge at the fold line 21 to close the opening 20.

Mounted to coperate with the sealing flap 22 is a retaining member 23 therefor. This member is preferably formed of elastic .or may, if desired, be formed from a strip of rubber and is-secured, at its extremities, by box makers glue or in .fany other suitable manner to the adjacent front' and side faces of the box at points upon opposite sides of the discharge opening 20. The i retaining member 23 is thus arranged to normally extend ,around the adjacent corgner of the box and by grasping thesaid member and moving the intermediate portion thereof upwardly, the said member may, as illustrated in Fig. 1, be easlly engaged over the outer end of the ap 22 for normally urgin the said flapv to closed position sealing t e discharge opening 20 of the box.

As will now be seen, the box 10 vmay be filled in the usual manner, but preferably at the extremity thereof opposite to that provided with the discharge opening 20 and inclosed in the usual sealing wrapper. Then,

when it is desired to use the-contents of the box, the said wrapper may be torn away at the flap 22 and the retaining element 23 for the sald flap moved to inactive osition, as illustrated 1n Fig. 2, so that the ap 22 may be swung upwardly and the contents of the box poured out through the discharge opening. The flap 22 may then again be closed to be yieldably urged to active position by 'the retaining element therefor with the said iap tightly sealing the box to maintain the unused portion of its contents in a fresh condition. Consequently, I thus provide an arrangement wherein the contents ofthe box may be'emptied therefrom as desired, without displacing the lsealing wrapper for the box while the unused portion of the contents yof the box may be kept fresh therein.

It will therefore be seen that the present invention constitutes a highly desirable article for the purpose set forth and while I have indicated that the boxvis particularly adapted for use as a cereal carton still, it will be seen that a box constructed in accordance with the invention may be used for various other urposes and I do not, therefore, wish to L imit myself', in this rear g Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A box lof the character described pro: vided/with overlapping closure laps at one end thereof, one of said aps being formed with a notch opening through one end edge of the said flap and the -other of said iiaps overlying the said extremity of said first mentioned flap and having the outer side portion thereof cut awayA to extend between the sides of the said notch and provide a 4 discharge opening for the box, a third closure Hap carried by the box and arranged to overlie said first mentioned aps with a portion of the said last mentioned flap free to provide a sealing iap for the said open- 4 ing, and an elastic retaining element connected at its extremities to adjacent side walls of the box and `arranged withits intermediate portion disposed for engagement over the said sealing flap for holding the said fla closed.

2. A ox of the character described provided at one end thereof with overlying closure iaps, one of said fla s having a substantially V-shaped notch ormed in one extremity thereof and the other of said iiaps being arrangedl to overlie said first mentioned iap and having the outer side portion thereof cut away along angularly disposed lines at the said notch to extend between the sides thereof and provide a substantially triangular shaped discharge opening for the box havingone corner thereof arranged at one corner of the box, a third closure"iap carried by the box and arranged to overlie said first mentioned aps to be secured thereto throughout the major portion of its area, the said last mentioned'flap being provided with a diagonal fold line comciding with the inner edge of said opening and defining a sealing flap kmovable to close said opening, and a retaming element connected to the vbox and arranged for engagement over the said sealing Hap for holding the sealing iap closed.

In testimonyvwhereof I aix mv signature.

FREDERICK w. RICE. [n 5.] 

